Ɔsɛnkafoɔ 9

1 Enti medwenee yeinom nyinaa ho na mehunuu sɛ ateneneefoɔ, anyansafoɔ ne deɛ wɔyɛ wɔ Onyankopɔn nsam; nanso obiara nnim sɛ ɔdɔ anaasɛ ɔtan retwɛn no.

For I thought about all this in my mind to understand about the righteous and wise people and their deeds. They are all in God's hands. No one knows whether love or hate will come to someone.

2 Wɔn nyinaa hyɛberɛ yɛ baako; ateneneefoɔ ne amumuyɛfoɔ, nnipa pa ne nnipa bɔne, wɔn a wɔn ho teɛ ne wɔn a wɔn ho nteɛ, wɔn a wɔbɔ afɔdeɛ ne wɔn a wɔmmɔ. Sɛdeɛ ɛte ma onipa pa no, saa ara na ɛte ma ɔbɔnefoɔ; sɛdeɛ ɛte ma wɔn a wɔka ntam no, saa ara na ɛte ma wɔn a wɔsuro sɛ wɔbɛka ntam.

Everyone has the same fate. The same fate awaits righteous people and wicked, the good, the clean and the unclean, and the one who sacrifices and the one who does not sacrifice. As good people will die, so also will the sinner. As the one who swears will die, so also will the man who fears to make an oath.

3 Yei ne bɔne a ɛwɔ biribiara a ɛsi wɔ owia yi ase mu. Hyɛberɛ baako ba yɛn nyinaa so. Deɛ ɛka ho ne sɛ, bɔne ahyɛ nnipa akoma mu ma na abɔdamsɛm wɔ wɔn akoma mu ɛberɛ a wɔwɔ nkwa mu, na akyire no, wɔkɔka awufoɔ ho.

There is an evil fate for everything that is done under the sun, the same event happens to them all. The hearts of human beings are full of evil, and madness is in their hearts while they live. So after that they go to the dead.

4 Obiara a ɔka ateasefoɔ ho no wɔ anidasoɔ, mpo ɔkraman a ɔte ase yɛ sene gyata a wawuo.

For anyone who is united to all the living, there is hope, just as a living dog is better than a dead lion.

5 Na ateasefoɔ nim sɛ wɔbɛwu, nanso awufoɔ nnim hwee; wɔnni akatua biara bio, na wɔn ho nkaeɛ mpo ayera.

For living people know they will die, but the dead do not know anything. They no longer have any reward because their memory is forgotten.

6 Wɔn dɔ, ɔtan ne ninkunu atu ayera dada; wɔnni hwee yɛ wɔ biribiara a ɛsi wɔ owia yi ase mu.

Their love, hatred, and envy have vanished long ago. They will never have a place again in anything done under the sun.

7 Enti kɔ, fa anigyeɛ di wʼaduane, na fa ahosɛpɛ akoma nom wo nsã, ɛfiri sɛ saa ɛberɛ yi na Onyankopɔn pene deɛ woyɛ so.

Go your way, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a happy heart, for God approves of celebrating good works.

8 Ɛberɛ biara ma wʼaduradeɛ nyɛ fitaa na fa ngohwam sra wo tirim.

Let your clothes be always white and your head anointed with oil.

9 Wo ne wo yere monnye mo ani, ɔbaa a wo dɔ noɔ no, wɔ nna a ɛnka hwee a Onyankopɔn de ama mo wɔ owia yi ase, mo ahuhudeɛ nna no. Ɛfiri sɛ ɛyɛ mo kyɛfa wɔ mo nkwa nna mu, ne mo adwumaden wɔ owia yi ase.

Live happily with the wife whom you love all the days of your life of uselessness, the days that God has given you under the sun during your days of uselessness. That is your reward in life for your work under the sun.

10 Deɛ wo nsa bɛso mu biara, fa wʼahoɔden nyinaa yɛ, ɛfiri sɛ damena a wɔrekɔ mu no, adwumayɛ, adwendwene, nhunumu ne nimdeɛ nni hɔ. (Sheol h7585)

Whatever your hand finds to do, work at it with your strength, because there is no work or explanation or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, where you are going. (Sheol h7585)

11 Mehunuu biribi foforɔ wɔ owia yi ase: Mmirikakansie nni hɔ mma deɛ ne ho yɛ herɛ anaasɛ ɔko nni hɔ mma ɔhoɔdenfoɔ, aduane mma onyansafoɔ nkyɛn anaasɛ ahonya nnkɔ nhunumufoɔ hɔ na adom nnkɔ animdefoɔ nkyɛn; nanso berɛ ne akwannya wɔ hɔ ma wɔn nyinaa.

I have seen some interesting things under the sun: The race does not belong to swift people. The battle does not belong to strong people. Bread does not belong to wise people. Riches do not belong to people of understanding. Favor does not belong to people of knowledge. Instead, time and chance affect them all.

12 Bio, onipa biara nnim dɔn ko a ne berɛ bɛso: Sɛdeɛ asau tumi kyere mpataa, ne sɛdeɛ afidie yi nnomaa no saa ara na mmerɛ bɔne to nnipa wɔ ɛberɛ a wɔn ani nni wɔn ho so.

Surely, no one knows when his time will come. As fish are caught in a deadly net, or birds are caught in a snare, the children of human beings are ensnared by evil times that suddenly fall upon them.

13 Bio, mehunuu saa nimdeɛ ho nhwɛsoɔ yi wɔ owia yi ase ma ɛtɔɔ me so yie:

I have also seen wisdom under the sun in a way that seemed great to me.

14 Ɛberɛ bi na kuropɔn ketewa bi wɔ hɔ a emu nnipa yɛ kakraa bi. Ɔhene bi a ɔwɔ tumi to hyɛɛ kuropɔn yi so. Ɔtwaa ho hyiaeɛ na ɔsisii mpie akɛseɛ tiaa no.

There was a small city with only a few men in it, and a great king came against it and besieged it and built great siege ramps against it.

15 Na ohiani bi a ɔnim nyansa wɔ kuropɔn no mu, na ɔnam ne nimdeɛ so gyee kuropɔn no sii hɔ. Nanso obiara ankae saa ohiani no.

Now in the city was found a poor, wise man, who by his wisdom saved the city. Yet later, no one remembered that same poor man.

16 Enti mekaa sɛ, “Nimdeɛ yɛ sene ahoɔden.” Nanso wɔbuu ohiani no nimdeɛ no animtiaa, na obiara ntie nʼasɛm bio.

So I concluded, “Wisdom is better than strength, but the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.”

17 Ɛsɛ sɛ wɔtie onyansafoɔ nsɛm a ɔka no brɛoo no na ɛnyɛ nkwaseafoɔ sodifoɔ nteateam.

The words of wise people spoken quietly are heard better than the shouts of any ruler among fools.

18 Nimdeɛ yɛ sene akodeɛ, nanso ɔdebɔneyɛfoɔ baako sɛe nnepa bebree.

Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner can ruin much good.